Echoes of the Guardian Era
by SupremeLordOfShadow
Summary: AU Power Rangers Zeo. A new enemy emerges, one so powerful even the Power Rangers can't stop him. With the universe teetering on the brink of defeat, the Rangers must look backward and unearth the ancient secrets that are their last hope.
1. The New Enemy

_**Echoes of the Guardian Era**_**  
Written By: SupremeLordOfShadow**

**Disclaimer: I make no money from this story.**

**A/N: This story takes place in the middle of the fourth season, better known as Power Rangers Zeo, right after Mondo is temporarily destroyed by the damacles sword.**

**Chapter I  
"The New Enemy"**

There was no thought. No hesitation, as the Red Zeo Ranger charged the enemy, sword in hand. His foe moved quickly, bringing his wand up to meet the Ranger's strike, the energy surrounding it catching his blade and holding it fast.

"Awe, what's wrong?" he said mockingly. "Miss your friend already? If you want I can send you to where she is… inside me!" The man, cloaked in an armor of black spikes, disengaged and swung around to launch a strike of his own. Tommy side slipped the blow, backing off just far enough to position himself for a new attack.

He'd been eating lunch at Ernie's when he got the call. Katherine was in trouble, under attack by some unknown adversary. Her cries were desperate; she couldn't hold out much longer. Tommy wasted no time; he didn't even check in with the others before teleporting to her location. When he arrived, he found himself in a room filled with corpses. Bodies that were withered and rotten in ways he didn't even want to remember. In the midst of all this, he saw Kat. Saw that bastard standing over her. Saw…

A strong kick came out of nowhere, catching Tommy dead on and flinging him across the room. Winded, he struggled to get up as the enemy took long, purposeful strides towards him.

"_Braxon!!!_" A familiar high pitched shriek echoed through the air. "We need you up here _now!_" The killer growled.

"Another time, Ranger," he announced, before vanishing in a plume of black fire.

Tommy pulled himself to his feet and stumbled amidst the debris and bodies. His eyes scanned them all until he found the one he was searching for. The one he needed to find. And when he did, he pulled her close and his morph dropped away as the tears began to flow. They were still falling when the other Rangers finally caught up with him.

"Tommy?" Rocky asked, his voice cracking as he began to comprehend the pain of this moment. "Is that…" Tommy turned the body, and the others all saw who it was. They all saw Katherine.

- - -

"You insolent fools!" King Mondo declared as the prisoners were lead into his throne room. "Did you really believe that the likes of you could seize control of the Machine Empire?" Rita and Zedd glared daggers at him

"Well it's not like you've been doing such a bang up job," Rita retorted. "You just got blown up by the Power Rangers."

"And yet I'm here and you're about to be in chains," Mondo said smugly. "Just another example of how even under the best of circumstances, the incompetent can never win."

"I only wish that were true," a voice said from behind the King. Mondo spun around, his metallic mouth gaping wide as he saw a familiar face in black spiked armor walking towards him.

"Lord Braxon? How?"

"Those insolent fools over there succeeded where you evidently failed," he explained. "They freed me from that abysmal prison."

"And for that, my Lord, they shall of course be rewarded," the King said quickly. "Klank, release our new guests of honor and show them to their quarters. We shall have a…"

"They'll take your own chambers, King," Braxon interrupted.

"_What?_"

"It pains me to do this, it really does. You were a great servant, and a much brighter evil mind than they would ever be. But in the name of my new master, Emperor Zedd, you are no longer King of the Machine Empire. In fact, you're no longer King of anything."

"Wait! Don…" Braxon raised his wand and blasted Mondo apart before he could say another word.

"Klank, have you thought at all about our earlier discussion?" Lord Braxon asked the robot.

"Wait, what? You've been in talks with this madman?" Queen Machina demanded.

"I'm sorry, m'lady," Klank replied. "Cogs, take the former royal family into custody."

- - -

"Who was that guy?" They had all been sitting in the Power Chamber, the air filled with quiet grief, when Adam finally voiced what they were all thinking.

"We're not sure yet," Billy responded. "Whoever he was, he just drained the life force out of two dozen people, including…" He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

"He was unlike anything I've ever fought before," Tommy told them. "And what he did to Kat… I think it's a safe bet he'll be out to do the same to us."

"I can't believe this," Tanya whispered. "I mean, could Rita and Zedd really be behind this?"

"All I know is that voice that summoned this guy back sounded a lot like Rita's, and…" Tommy's eyes lit up. "Braxon. She called him Braxon."

"So the bastard has a name," Rocky growled. "Good. Now where's his address so we can…"

"Are you sure?" Zordon interrupted the Blue Ranger. "Are you absolutely sure she called him Braxon?" There was something about Zordon's voice, an urgency that the Rangers had never heard before. It almost sounded like Zordon was afraid.

"Yeah," Tommy replied. "Yeah, that's what she said. Do you know this guy?" All was quiet for a moment.

"I do," Zordon finally responded. "And if I'm right, we must move quickly, or else all will be lost."

**End of Chapter I**

**A/N: A bit of an ominous ending. This is the start of a very dark journey for the Rangers, and a war that will push the forces of Good to the brink of defeat. All I will tell you is this: more main characters will die. If a dark story like this is what you're looking for, REVIEW and I'll write more.**


	2. Counterattack

**Chapter II  
"Counterattack"**

The five Rangers looked around at the moon's bleak surface, focusing on their surroundings, and not on themselves. Not on the fact that there should be six of them.

"There's the Machine Palace," Tanya announced, pointing at a structure on the horizon.

"The fleet is scattering," Rocky observed, pointing to the formations of Gear Battlecruisers that were moving away from the sky above the fortress.

"Looks like Zordon was right," said Tommy. "Let's get in there, while this is all still going on."

"Right!"

_And hope to god this all works_, the Red Ranger added silently. Back in the Power Chamber, Zordon had been short on information and big on orders. This guy, Lord Braxon, was apparently some big to-do bad guy, but according to Zordon he was weak at the moment. Tommy shuddered at the thought that the guy he had barely managed to touch during their fight had been _weak_, but Zordon insisted that was the case.

"We have intercepted transmissions through the Mechanoid Star Navy," the floating head had told them. "Braxon has just killed Mondo, yet instead of taking command of the Machine Empire himself he has given that command to Zedd. Lord Braxon is not one to serve others willingly. Zedd and Rita must have bound his greater powers when they brought him here to keep him under their control. That's why he is consuming life forces, as a substitute for his natural abilities. As long as this is the case, we may have an opportunity to defeat him if we act quickly."

And so there they were, on the moon, about to storm the palace. To take on the new leaders of the Machine Empire, and avenge Katherine's death.

- - -

"You tell those insubordinate fools that their new Emperor will not tolerate desertion!" Zedd shouted, and Klank scampered off to comply.

"My liege, perhaps I can suggest a strategy," Braxon spoke up. "Negotiations with the various faction leaders might be the best way to bring this Empire back together."

"Negotiations?" Rita screeched. "What are we, Good?"

"Of course not," Braxon spat. "And neither are they. The leaders of this rebellion are not resisting out of any sort of principle, they're rebelling out of concern that they might be the next to be deposed. Assure them all that their place in the late Mondo's empire will remain intact, and they will likely come back into the fold."

"And how are we supposed to…" Before Zedd could finish his question, the door blew apart. Blaster fire rained down on the room as all the surrounding Cogs were taken out in a matter of moments.

"Hey Zedd? Remember us?" The Red Ranger declared.

"The Power Rangers?" Rita cried. "How'd they get in here?"

"Klank!" Braxon shouted. "Initiate Valiant Protocol. Contact the rest of the fleet as well, tell them of our situation. My liege," he turned to Zedd, "get to safety. I'll deal with these pests." He drew his wand, the weapon coursing with energy.

"Bring it on," Tommy growled.

"Oh, I will." Braxon launched himself forward, his weapon casting energy blasts in every direction. The dance began, all six figures moving and firing, the five Rangers struggling to get into formation, to lay down some sort of killing stroke on their foe, yet every time he managed to evade their strike, just as they kept on avoiding his.

Suddenly, the whole room shuddered. Braxon laughed wildly, and grabbed onto a railing. "So long, Rangers!" At that moment the outer doors opened, and the throne room experienced explosive decompression. Braxon held on, while the Power Rangers were flung out onto the lunar surface.

The doors sealed again, and Lord Braxon settled himself on the Machine Throne. "Klank, get us off the ground. And summon any fleet elements still loyal to us. It's time to defeat the Power Rangers."

- - -

On the surface, the Rangers watched as the Palace just lifted off and flew up into the sky, where it met up with a half dozen Gear Battlecruisers. Quadrafighters were launched, Cogs were deployed, and Rangers found themselves quickly surrounded.

"Well guys, you know what this means," Tommy announced. "We need Super Zeo Zord Power, now!" Turning to Jason, he put his hand on his old friend's shoulder and said the words that hurt him more than anything else. "Bro… I need you to pilot Kat's Zord." The Gold Ranger nodded. "All right, guys. Let's do it!"

Flying in from Earth, the five Super Zeo Zords arrived in record time. The Rangers boarded them, and the battle began.

Tanya and Rocky took the right flank, cutting through the waves of Quadrafighters as Adam blasted apart the army of Cogs – which were trying to launch themselves onto the Zords and dismantle them by hand. Meanwhile, Tommy and Jason sent their Zords straight at the palace, cutting through everything that stood in their path. Everything, that is, except a Gear Battlecruiser. It sent a volley of plasma fire at them, striking both Zords hard and sending them crashing down.

"Ugh," Jason groaned. "Our individual Zords can't take that thing down."

"Maybe they can't," Tommy responded. "But we can take it down together. Guys, bring them together!"

The Super Zeo Zords re-entered formation and began changing shape, coming together and connecting to form the Super Zeo Megazord. Power Swords in hand, the Megazord charged the Battlecruiser, deflecting and dodging all the plasma fire sent its way.

"Now!" Tommy commanded, and the Megazord brought its heavy weapon down on the Machine vessel. It tore right through the hull, slicing the ship in half as it erupted in a massive explosion. Emerging from the fireball, the Rangers let out a cheer. There was nothing now between them and the Palace ship.

- - -

"Come on, Rangers," Braxon said gleefully. "Just a little closer." He looked down at his wrists, at the Pink Zeo Morphers that had appeared on them.

- - -

"Uh, guys, I've got a problem," Jason said frantically.

"What's wrong?" Adam asked.

"I've lost control of my Zord!" At that moment, the whole Megazord groaned and hissed. Then everything exploded, as Super Zeo Zord I forcibly tore itself out of the Megazord, destroying itself and doing irreparable damage to the rest of the Zords.

The Rangers fell, the explosion scattering them across the moon's surface. "Ugh, we need to retreat," Tommy commanded. "Back to the Power Chamber, everyone." The Rangers dissolved in streams of light, and moments later they were back home.

"Zordon," Tommy began, removing his helmet as he spoke, "we lost the Megazord."

"I know, Tommy. Even weakened, Braxon still has his mind. It is what has always made him stand apart from any other villain you or anyone has ever faced."

"So this guy's, like, really smart?" Tanya asked.

"Ingenious," Alpha replied. "No overbearing pride to cloud his judgment, no recklessness in the face of victory. He's always got another trick up his sleeve. It's pure, calculative intellect, and if he gets back to full strength, that will be backed up by powers the likes of which no one has seen in ten thousand years."

"So how do we…" Adam trailed off. "Guys, where's Rocky?"

- - -

"Ahhhhh!" The massive blast from Braxon's wand sent the Blue Ranger flying through the air. Rocky landed in a role and was quickly back on his feet, but not quick enough. Braxon's wand was plunged between his ribs before he could throw another punch. Then it was all over.

"My lord," Klank's voice came over the comm as the lifeless body of the Blue Ranger fell to Braxon's feet. "We are receiving messages from all over the fleet. They were very impressed with how you handled the Power Rangers, and are ready to swear their fealty to the new Emperor." Braxon smiled.

"Get Zedd out of hiding. He has new subjects to greet."

**End of Chapter II**

**A/N: Well, like I said, things are going to get very, very dark. REVIEW!!!!**


	3. Regrouping

**Chapter III  
"Regrouping"**

"I will not repeat my mistake," Zordon announced to the Rangers. "We can no longer afford to underestimate Braxon." The Power Rangers – those that were left – agreed with him completely. Two of their number had fallen; they couldn't afford to lose anyone else.

"So what do we do, Zordon?" Adam asked.

"We contact our allies, all of them. With the combined strength of every force of Good in this universe behind us, we might stand a chance at defeating Lord Braxon."

"He's that powerful, isn't he?" Tanya still had tears in her eyes.

"He is," Alpha replied. "He just proved to us that whatever weakness Rita and Zedd may have instilled in him doesn't make him at all vulnerable. When he gets his full powers back…"

"Wait, what?" Tommy interrupted. "I thought you said Zedd was restraining his powers to keep him under control. Why would he ever give them back to Braxon?"

"No one will give the powers back," Zordon explained. "Lord Braxon will find a way to take them back."

"And when he does, we will be unable to even slow him down," Alpha added. "What happened today, on the moon, that is nothing compared to what Braxon can do once he frees himself from Zedd's leash."

"So we gotta beat this guy before that happens," Jason declared.

"But as we've seen, that's easier said than done," Billy pointed out. "However, I think we may have an opportunity."

"What do you mean?" Adam.

"I've been going over the scans of Braxon from his first attack in Angel Grove, and I've noticed something interesting. There is an abnormally high level of tachyon particles in his body. As best I can tell, he's not entirely here, in this dimension."

"Wait, how can he not be entirely here?" Tanya.

"The theory essentially is that if an object's energy – in this case the powers of Lord Braxon – reaches a high enough level, then it can reach across dimensional lines. Now, this is the foundation for current research into inter-dimensional travel. Now, from what I'm seeing, Braxon is somehow being restrained from traveling completely into our realm. Something is holding a significant part of his powers – and by extension, himself – back."

"You mentioned an opportunity?" Tommy reminded him.

"Yes. Once my analysis is complete, I'll be able to determine what dimension the rest of him is in. If we can go there…"

"No!" Zordon's reply was as forceful as they'd ever heard him before. "Your theory is accurate, Billy, however your plan is suicidal."

"But if he's focusing on our dimension then his other side might be vulnerable."

"Billy, Braxon's powers emanate from the Shadow Realm, the darkest of the dark dimensions," Alpha told him. "Only the most absolute evil entities in the universe can even survive there; any lesser creatures, Good or Evil, would be destroyed."

"Still, there's got to be a way to take advantage of this," Jason insisted.

"There is," Zordon responded. "There is only one weapon that could restrain Braxon, the same weapon that enabled him to gain the powers of the Shadow Realm so long ago."

"What is it, Zordon?"

- - -

"You have denied me the Shadow Saber," Braxon began. "Restricted my powers and left me neutered here before you. At least do yourself the favor of taking my advice."

"_I_ am the Emperor, Braxon, and it seems to me you are forgetting it," Lord Zedd snapped. "I want Mondo's wife and son executed by this time tomorrow, as an example to my new empire of what happens to those who disobey me."

"If you kill the royals, there will not be an empire," Braxon insisted. "_Your_," he put a special emphasis on that word, "defeat of the Power Rangers has won their admiration, your honoring of Mondo's agreements with them has earned their respect, but they can never be truly loyal to a non-machine. The remnants of the royal family still carry the loyalty you need from your new subjects. Find a way to gain _their _loyalty and incorporate them into your new command, and you will only strengthen the loyalty of your other subjects."

"Out of the question. Machina and Sprocket would use their new position to incite an uprising against me."

"If you execute them, you'll have an uprising against you anyway. You've killed their King, and you just deposed the Supreme Commander of their military."

"Goldar is a far more loyal choice for that…"

"Goldar will not command the fear and respect that General Motorall did, sire. The army will never accept him as their Supreme Commander."

"That is enough!" Zedd raised his staff threateningly. "I brought you here Braxon, now you will either follow my commands or I'll send you back to the hellhole you came from." Braxon gritted his teeth and nodded in acquiescence before leaving the throne room.

_Enjoy this while you can, my lord,_ he thought as he stormed down the corridor. _Soon enough the tables will be turned, and I'll be filleting what flesh you have left from your bones._

"Klank!" he shouted as he stormed into the operations center, startling the now-demoted footman. "Come with me, we need to talk."

- - -

"So, this Shadow Saber is what's keeping Braxon in limbo," Billy summarized. "And you're saying that if we find it, it'll be powerful enough to send him back?"

"Into the depths of the Shadow Realm, where he belongs," Alpha declared.

"It is our only opportunity, our only hope," Zordon told them. "Lord Zedd will have hidden it well, but Braxon is certainly already co-opting Zedd's own servants and sending them out to try and find it. If he gets his hands on it before we do, all will be lost."

"Then let's stop wasting time," Tommy said, stepping forward. "Let's find this thing."

**End of Chapter III**

**A/N: Well, the race begins. Who will get it first, the Power Rangers or Braxon? If you want to find out, REVIEW!!!!**


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